1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method in the travel industry. In particular, this invention relates to a system and method for determining one or more origin and destination (O&D) services for an itinerary by applying a multi-level test to the itinerary.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Trip analysis became important to travel managers as airlines set up hub-and-spoke route networks in the late 1970's and early 1980's. Since that time, travel reporting systems have used a variety of methods to derive O&D.
Some systems use “stopover indicators” on an airline ticket. These indicators (an “X” for a connection and an “O” for a stopover) are a ticket-pricing byproduct. While useful as an ingredient of an O&D determination, stopover indicators by themselves cannot produce accurate O&D.
Other systems use “fare break points” on an airline ticket. Akin to stopover indicators, fare break points are the points in an itinerary that are explicitly priced. These do not always accurately indicate O&D.
Other systems use the time spent at a location. Some reporting systems use a minimum specified amount of time, e.g., four hours, to indicate a stopover. Some systems use one minimum for “domestic” travel and a different minimum for “international” travel. While consideration of time spent at a location is a key indication of O&D, time alone is a less accurate indicator of O&D. A more accurate O&D determination system is needed.